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Some people imagine New York City traffic as one big chaotic mess: streets jammed with honking cars and their belligerent drivers; cabs whizzing in and around lanes, paying no attention to the rules of the road; and the occasional arrogant pedestrian banging somebody's hood like a present-day Ratso Rizzo shouting, "I'm walking here!" This, of course, is a highly exaggerated picture. It's quite possible to drive right through New York City and keep your body, mind, soul (and car) intact. Just plan well and keep calm!

Crossing the Hudson

To a great extent, driving through the New York City metropolitan area really means finding a way of getting across the Hudson River. On the west side of the river is New Jersey and beyond it destinations like Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. To the north and east is the southernmost section of New York State, bordering Connecticut on the way to New England to the east.

Hundreds of thousands of vehicles traverse the Hudson on any given day, and every single one of them seems to be in a rush. If you're going to join this caravan of cars for a day, there are a few things you should know. You'll discover that advance planning really does pay off.

Whatever might be considered "rush hour" in most places is the norm here from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. every weekday. If possible, avoid traveling during these prime times; you'll be glad you did. You'll encounter tolls on all of the Hudson River crossings, but the toll is collected only on one side, on the way into New York City. Anticipate a wait at the toll at any crossing.

Parkways vs. Expressways

One dilemma in planning your journey through the New York metropolitan area is whether to take a parkway or an expressway. While the various parkways surrounding New York City will not necessarily be faster or less crowded than the nearby expressways, the fact that commercial vehicles are not allowed on parkways often makes for a more pleasant, comfortable drive. Many parkways are older roads originally planned as wooded scenic routes, with narrower shoulders and fewer exits than the newer expressways.

The Terrible Default: I-95 and the Cross Bronx Expressway

Interstate 95 is the major expressway bringing cars and trucks from west of the city to the east. The George Washington Bridge carries traffic across the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York City near the boundary of Manhattan Island (to the south) and the Bronx (to the north). As its name implies, the Cross Bronx Expressway section of I-95, some five miles long, runs west to east to the other side of the Bronx, and splits from there, with I-95 continuing north into New England and I-295 going onto Long Island.

As the physically shortest route from one side of the city to the other, the Cross Bronx Expressway is usually the default choice in mapping programs and road directions. But with some 275,000 vehicles crossing the George Washington Bridge every day, it's also notorious for horrendous traffic problems.

If you include delays getting onto and across the George Washington Bridge itself, it's not at all uncommon for those few miles of road to take 60 to 90 minutes to navigate – and most of those minutes will be spent breathing the exhaust fumes from all the other cars and trucks around you as you crawl forward a few feet at a time. While the alternatives to the north may look as though they involve adding many miles to your trip, the time you save and the headaches you avoid make it worthwhile to consider alternative routes.

A Viable Alternative: The Tappan Zee Bridge

Especially if you're driving a passenger car with nothing in tow, crossing the Hudson some 25 miles north of the George Washington Bridge at the Tappan Zee Bridge (renamed the Mario Cuomo Bridge in 2017, although signs and customs are slow to change) may be a good choice. The bridge crosses the Hudson between Tarrytown and Nyack on I-287, also known as the Cross-Westchester Expressway.

On both sides of the river, the north–south distance between the two bridges can mostly be covered on truck-free parkways, and what distance you do need to travel on I-287 often moves at least as well at I-95 to the south (figure that if I-287 seems worse than normal, it's likely that I-95 is a nightmare).

Going toward New England from the west, the Hutchinson River Parkway (which connects to both I-95 and I-287) is the most popular parkway route, but several others provide useful alternatives away from the metropolitan area. On the New Jersey side, the Palisades Interstate Parkway goes south to the spot where you'd be if you'd crossed at the George Washington Bridge. Other expressway connections to points west and south are easily accessible.

Farther North: I-84 and the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge

Another 30 or so miles north of the Tappan Zee/Cuomo bridge, Interstate 84 carries traffic between Danbury and Hartford, Conn. to the east and the southern tier of New York and Pennsylvania to the west. Over a mile long as it crosses the Hudson, the Newburgh bridge generally offers a quick, stress-free crossing, especially westbound where tolls are not collected. If your ultimate destination and timing allow for this route, it can be an attractive alternative.

Whichever route you choose, trace it carefully online before you go, and plan to move deliberately, if sometimes slowly, through the region. Particularly on the parkways, you'll see attractive natural features along the way, and wherever you cross the Hudson River, it's an experience you'll always remember.

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About the Author

Judith loves cats, books, and road trips with her husband. She was born in rural Indiana, studied English Literature at the University of Chicago, and has lived in Chicago, Boston, Deerfield, MA and now Louisville, KY. She owned a bookstore for several years and is a past-president of the Mass. & RI Antiquarian Booksellers. She edits novels and stories, and makes pictures which have been shown in galleries and juried shows. She loves to write, and her motto is "stay curious."

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